The Go-Betweens
The LORD called out to the man and asked, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9
For those who wonder why God doesn’t fix all the wrong in the world right now, C. S. Lewis wrote that when the Author walks onto the stage, the play is over. That is true, but narrow…
God is patient and longsuffering, and does not want anyone to perish. But this disregards the major theme of the Bible, which is the pattern of growth from childhood to maturity. Salvation is certainly central to us, but it is a means to an end, and that end is our development from red earth to glorious metal, from craven sinners to wise judges who not only reflect the Solomon-glory of Christ, but are useful to God. Passover is just the beginning.
The world is a place of Adam-mediators, those who stand in the gap between God and others and demonstrate both His goodness and severity. This requires time, and allows for failure.
80% of the world’s hungry children today are in countries with food surplusses… Why does God not step in and oust these corrupt or inept governments?
That mother and her children, beaten almost daily by an alcoholic husband… Why does God not step in and deal with him?
That minister who intimidates, or fleeces, or even molests people in his congregation… Why does God not step in and incinerate his corrupt priesthood?
That woman who leaves her infant children alone in the car while she spends her grocery money at the casino… Why does God not step in and deal with her?
The answer is, all those in power are mediators. Every one of us has a God-given dominion, and God gives us time to make it flourish–or not. Then, He does step in to evaluate us eventually, in His perfect timing. This is the pattern of Covenants in the Bible. All government, all marriage, all parenting, all employment, all ministry is by nature a covenantal privilege.
Of course, as we also see in the Bible, when God doesn’t step in (such as in Habakkuk), He is accused of being unjust. And then when He does step in (such as in Ezekiel), He is also accused of being unjust. By faith, we know that God is just when He speaks and blameless when He judges (Ps. 51:4) because He has shown us our own condition.
We have a Great Mediator in heaven Who is all wise and all powerful. He knew exactly what He was doing with the domain given to Him at His ascension to the throne of David and it resulted in purification and ascension for the saints, and destruction for His enemies, as He threatened. It brought about the end of the Old Covenant.
Now ruling the world in a similar fashion, we can be confident that He not only knows what He is doing and will bring it to a similarly glorious end for the saints, but that as mediators–Temple bowls–we can approach Him for all the wisdom and strength we need to feed and correct in our given domains, as part of bringing about that glorious end–the victorious end of the New Covenant.
It is certainly the duty of a Christian man to ascend higher than merely to seek and secure the salvation of his own soul . . . If we wish to belong to Christ, let no man be anything for himself. But let us all be whatever we are for each other.
- John Calvin
